


Kindred

by Ambeebee23



Category: Ghost Hunters RPF
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-26
Updated: 2020-09-30
Packaged: 2021-03-06 21:02:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,695
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26125450
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ambeebee23/pseuds/Ambeebee23
Summary: "I don't know why you can't see it, Mels, he's your soul mate, and you're his! I've never seen two people as blinded as you.""Soul mates?" Melody scoffed, shaking her head. "I don't believe in soul mates, they don't exist..."----------Melody Parker is a hair stylist by day and paranormal investigator by night. Despite thinking she's got it all figured out, Melody still has quite a bit to learn as the newest member of The Atlantic Paranormal Society. Follow her adventures as she seeks the answers to the unexplained, the paranormal, and perhaps finding love along the way.
Relationships: Steve Gonsalves/OFC
Comments: 2





	1. Chapter 1

A smile tugged at Melody Parker's lips as she gazed out the window at the snow drifting down from the sky. Large, wet flakes accumulated on the ground, blanketing the grey pavement in pure white. Snow in November wasn't exactly uncommon in Rhode Island, but a blizzard was practically unheard of, especially so early in the month. Melody loved it, though! Winter had always been her favorite season, which was quite odd when you thought about the fact that she was cold natured and broke out a sweater at the slightest drop in temperature. Still, Melody adored winter, she always had. There was some sort of magic in it that she just couldn't explain.

"Are you actually getting any work done there, Mels, or are you dreaming about making a snow angel?"

Startled from her thoughts, Melody let out a small gasp as she turned to see the smirking face of Dave, or well, Tango, as they called him. "If you must know, I've been working all day on trying to get some of this evidence reviewed so we can clear the tapes before the next investigation...But look, it's snowing! I didn't think we were supposed to be getting any snow just yet, where did this blizzard come from?"

Tango gave her a puzzled look as he placed a steaming mug of coffee on the desk before he took a sip of his own. "Where have you been? The news has been talking about it all week, you don't watch the weather?"

Melody shrugged in response to his question, though her eyes lit up at the sight of the caffeine, knowing good and well her favorite Starbucks Holiday blend had been stocked in the small kitchen area of the TAPS headquarters. In fact, she'd made sure they'd have plenty to last them through the winter season, though if she had it her way, she'd drink it all year long."Coffee! You know when a girl needs a pick me up, huh?"

Tango chuckled a bit, though a nervous expression flashed in his eyes for a moment as he brought his free hand up to scratch the back of his neck in an awkward fashion. "Well, I had hoped it would soften the blow of the news I need to break to you."

Melody's smile faded, the coffee cup halfway to her lips. "What is it? What's wrong?" Had someone been in an accident? There were quite a few people out of the office at the moment, but nearly everyone had day jobs, they couldn't spend all their time at TAPS headquarters..

"What? No! No, of course not. Nothing like that." Tango explained. "Just, Jay and Grant were talking earlier and with the weather due to get worse in the next couple of days they decided the driving crew should leave a bit early just to get ahead of the storms..."

Melody couldn't stop the breath of relief that escaped her lips. "Don't scare me like that, Dave! You know I always think the worst!" She exclaimed, resisting the urge to reach out and punch the man on the shoulder. "So how does this affect me? I'm assuming you and Steve will be getting an early start in the morning?" She figured that had better be the case, they were making the long drive to Wyoming, and if there was a threat of snow and ice, it simply wouldn't do to rush.

"Well, that's what I was getting at, Mels. I can't leave tomorrow. I can't swing the time off, unfortunately, and I know your work is pretty flexible..."

"Flexible?" Melody interrupted. "It's not that flexible! I can't just cancel three days worth of appointments at the salon, Tango..." In all truth, Melody didn't have that many appointments scheduled for the next few days, and she knew her coworker would gladly cover for her those days, she'd done it before. But that wasn't the point. The problem was that she was completely unprepared, especially to leave as quickly as the next morning. And there was the fact that Tango couldn't lie worth shit. She knew just as well as he did that the real reason he didn't want to leave so early was he was hesitant to be separated from his girlfriend and fellow investigator, Kris, for so long.

"Come on, Mels, pretty please? I promise to make this up to you.." Tango was almost begging, his desperation evident in his brown eyes. "You know I wouldn't ask you this if I didn't absolutely have to. You know Steve can't make the trip on his own.."

Melody bit her lip as she allowed her gaze to wander to the screen where she'd been reviewing some footage from a local home investigation not too long before. She didn't mind traveling with Steve, if she was completely honest. He was a nice guy, though she didn't know him all that well. She'd only been a member of The Atlantic Paranormal Society for a few months and hadn't been on all that many investigations as of yet. Well, at least not many of the travel ones, the ones that were filmed by SyFy, which she was quite thankful for. As outgoing as she could be, the young woman was quite awkward and shy when the cameras were turned in her direction. Much of her interaction with the senior investigator had been in passing, no less than a hello here and a bit of small talk there. How awkward would it be to spend over 32 hours in a van with a man she barely knew?

Letting out a sigh, Melody turned her attention back to Tango, who was anxiously awaiting her answer. "So, what time are we heading out in the morning?" She asked, the defeat in her voice confirming that Tango had gotten the answer he'd wanted.

A grin tugged at Tango's lips as pulled the newest investigator into a hug of gratitude. "7:00 am sharp. Or well, not sharp, if you know Steve... He's not always on time."

Melody resisted the urge to roll her eyes as she pushed back from the hug slightly. "Actually, I don't know him." She muttered. "Not as well as I'd like, especially when I'll be spending so much time in close quarters with the man. Please tell me there will at least be separate hotel rooms?" She questioned, raising a brow. For his own sake, Tango had better say yes, or it'd be an immediate deal breaker.

"That can be arranged, yes, Originally it wasn't supposed to be, but I'm sure Jay and Grant won't mind the extra expense."

Melody nodded, satisfied with his answer. "Alright then...I'll go, but you owe me big time, Tango. I mean it!"

Now it was Dave's turn to roll his eyes. "Yeah, yeah. Unlimited pumpkin spice lattes and Holiday flat whites on the trip sound good enough?"

A mischievous smirk tugged at Melody's lips as she went to place the pink headphones she'd been wearing over her ears once more. "It's a start..Oh, and I hope you enjoy thenext few days with Kris."

Tango's expression was priceless! He opened and closed his mouth a couple of times, looking like a fish out of water as he seemed at a loss for words. "I have no idea what you're talking about,Mels."

"Oh, I wasn't born yesterday, you know. You could have just told me the real reason you wanted to switch travel plans with me, it wouldn't have changed my answer." The smirk was still present on Melody's lips as she turned the office chair to face the computer once more, her hand poised over the mouse and prepared to hit play on the video footage any minute now. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a shit ton of footage to get through before I can even think about leaving to pack. Jay and Grant have the reveal meeting with these clients tomorrow afternoon, I think."

Knowing he'd been caught, Tango didn't bother to argue anymore. Instead, he offered a grateful smile as he backed himself toward the doorway. "Right, I'll leave you to it then. Thanks again, Mels!"

"Don't mention it!" Melody waved him off, still smirking despite the amount of stress she was suddenly feeling. "Oh God,what the hell have I just agreed to?" She muttered to herself before taking a large sip of the coffee Tango had brought as a peace offering. She could only hope the trip would be less awkward than she could currently imagine, because at this point, a three to four day road trip in complete silence didn't seem all that appealing to her. There was a bright side, however, and that was the prospect of travelling through a few states she'd never been to before. Melody adored traveling, especially to places she'd never been before. Throw in a few haunted locations and the girl was in heaven!

"Well, I suppose I'll look on the bright side of things," She mused as she pressed play on the video she'd been reviewing. "At least we'll have one thing in common..."


	2. Apprehension

"I can NOT believe I let you talk me into this, Tango.." Melody muttered, glaring at the smirking man who was occupying the computer chair in the corner of her room. She tried to ignore the mischievous grin on his lips as she folded a pair of leggings before placing it in the half packed suitcase that sat atop her bed.

"Oh, you'll be fine, Mels! You're acting like it's the end of the world... Look at the bright side, you got some extra time off work and you're getting to travel! You love traveling, right?" Tango chuckled.

Resisting the urge to roll her eyes, Melody pulled her emerald green curls into a messy bun on the top of her head before adjusting the black rimmed glasses on her nose. "I do love traveling, and a few days extra off work is nice and all, but...Gah, you don't understand! It's awkward, you know?" She whined as she trudged over to her closet to pull out some more clothes for the trip.

"How is it awkward? You pack up, get in the van, drive to Wyoming with Steve, and we'll meet you guys in a couple of days! No big deal..." Tango mused as he reached for a pouch of Twizzlers and pulled out a few before he tossed the bag to Melody. "By the way, Steve has a sweet tooth, not unlike you. You might want to bring some extra candy."

"It's awkward because I don't even know.."

"Oh, you do too!" Tango interrupted, "Don't give me that, Mels. You've been part of the team almost a year now! And you've been on a couple travel investigations, you've seen him plenty of times."

"There's a difference in seeing someone and getting to know them. I haven't even had a conversation with the guy. Not a real one, at least. The most we've ever said to each other was a simple greeting or strictly work related." She picked up the pouch of Twizzlers and placed them in her backpack. She'd also packed a book and a couple coloring books and some coloring pencils to pass the time should the ride be truly unbearable or painfully silent.

"Well, this is the perfect opportunity to get to know him. It's a shame you've been part of TAPS for almost a year and you don't even know one of the founding members. Even worse, he's the only one you don't really know." He raised a questioning brow as he bit into one of the Twizzlers. "Why is that? You're so friendly and outgoing with the others...You don't have a shy bone in your body, so why haven't you gotten to know Steve?"

This time Melody didn't bother to roll her eyes as she placed a few pairs of folded jeans into the suitcase followed by a few TAPS tee shirts for filming days. "There isn't a specific reason, there just hasn't been much of an opportunity to get to know him, I suppose. I've had to work the last few TAPS get togethers, and well, he doesn't really go on many of the local investigations anymore..."

"Yeah, that's bull shit and you know it, Melody Rae...There have been plenty of opportunities for you to get to know each other. " This earned a pointed glare from Melody, so Tango held his hands up in defense. "Okay, okay, I won't push it any more. And hey, I really do appreciate you doing this for me. I really don't think I could have taken all those days off from work."

"Talk about bull shit..." Melody muttered, though her gaze was on her suitcase. She knew she needed more things, but with the lateness of the hour and the long day she'd had, she was drawing a blank. Not to mention, Steve wanted to leave TAPS headquarters no later than 6:00 a.m., which was just insane in Melody's opinion.

"Bull shit? What bull shit, you know I have to give advance notice when I want to take off work..."

"Mhmm, you also don't want to spend so much time away from Kris. As I said before, I wasn't born yesterday... And that's okay. I get it, your relationship is still kinda new and you're still in that honeymoon phase...The idea of being apart is almost unbearable. Unfortunately, so is the idea of getting this suitcase packed with enough time to get some sleep tonight." She sighed as she plopped down on her bed. "Where is Kris tonight, anyway? Wouldn't you normally be joined at the hip?"

"She's at headquarters finishing the evidence review for tomorrow. She's supposed to call me when she's done so I can drive her home." He said, a small smile tugging at his lips. Recently the two had gotten an apartment together, not that anyone was surprised. They had attempted to hide their relationship for quite some time, but it was painfully obvious to literally everyone that the two were an item. "Ah, and speaking of which..." He said as he pulled his phone from the pocket in his hoodie. "That's her.." He stood from the chair and grabbed the remaining Twizzlers from the desk. "For the road." He explained sheepishly. "And hey, you two have a good and safe trip, alright? Try not to kill each other."

Melody rolled her eyes and stood to give the man she very much considered a brother a hug. "Yeah, yeah...I'll try to behave." She teased.

"You, behave? Never!" He chuckled. "But I'm serious, at least try to get to know each other, huh? You might find you have more in common than you think. And I wasn't kidding about the candy. You give that man sweets and he'll love you forever."

"Oh, I'm bringing sweets alright, but I can't promise any will be for him." Melody chuckled. Of course she'd share. On any travel investigation she'd been on, she had been known to have a pretty impressive candy stash. "Anyway, I'll see you in four days?"

Tango nodded in confirmation. "Four days. See ya Mels." He smiled before stepping out onto the snow covered porch. Melody watched until he was in his car and had driven off before she closed and locked the door.

After ensuring the door was locked, Melody let out a weary sigh and headed toward her room to finish packing. Thankfully, there were only a few more things to add, and then of course her last minute stuff that couldn't be packed until she used it in the morning. "Not that I'll be bothering with much makeup anyway..." She muttered to herself as she placed the last few articles of clothing into the suitcase before moving it to the floor at the foot of her bed. "Not when I have to get up at 4:45 in the morning...Who the hell decides 6:00 in the morning is a good time to leave on a trip? Crazy, people, that's who...And you, Steve Gonsalves, are crazy as hell..."

As Melody slid under the covers and turned off her bedside lamp, her phone screen lit up signaling an incoming text. "What the...I swear, David Tango, if you're texting and driving in this snow I'll kill you.." She mumbled as she reached for her phone. Melody was surprised however, to see a text from a number she didn't recognize. She almost ignored it, but quickly thought better of it. Maybe someone from the team got a new number and needed her.

"Hey, remember we're leaving at 6:00 am sharp, don't be late! :D

"Well, speak of the devil..." Melody mumbled. "Wait, how the hell did he get my number?" She supposed it wasn't all that strange for him to have her number, he was a senior TAPS member..And maybe it was sort of strange that she didn't have his number. Of course, that would mean admitting Tango was right, and she definitely wasn't about to do that. Sighing a bit, Melody began to type out a reply.

"6:00 a.m...That's a little extreme, don't ya think?" Never mind that, I'll be there on time. See ya in the morning."

After saving his number in her phone and double checking that her alarm was set for 4:45, Melody set the phone face down on the bedside table and pulled the covers up to her chin. She didn't bother to wait in a response, but instead closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep. After all, 6:00 am came far too early and Melody Rae Parker was absolutely useless without her beauty sleep.


	3. The Adventure Begins

A yawn escaped Melody’s lips as she pulled her car into the TAPS parking lot at exactly 5:45 a.m. the next morning. Her black rimmed glasses were perched on the end of her nose, doing little to hide the dark circles under her eyes. Despite the fact that it was way too early to be out of bed in the first place, Melody had quite a bit of trouble sleeping the night before. She was trying to convince herself that her insomnia was due to anxiety over the trip in potentially bad weather, but she knew better than that. No, her anxiety was really the result of a long car ride with a man she barely knew. Even with Tango’s assurance that she had nothing to worry about, Melody was still a nervous wreck, and a tired one at that.

After stalling for a few moments in her car, Melody let out a sigh and turned off the ignition. “I’d better get this over with, then.” She mumbled to herself as she pulled her suitcase out of the trunk, making sure to lock it and check the doors. Of course, she could have used the electric key fob, but the last thing Melody wanted was the entire town of Warrick coming after her for disturbing their peaceful sleep with a loud car honk. That wouldn’t do at all. “I guess I could blame Steve.” She snickered to herself as she made her way toward the small, brightly lit building. :

As she stepped inside she was immediately met with warmth, a welcome contrast to the freezing cold temperatures outside, as well as the scent of freshly brewed coffee. Forgetting any anxiety she had moments before, Melody hurried to the kitchen area of the building in anticipation of the first of what would probably be many cups of caffeine. There, she found her travelling buddy leaning against the counter with a steaming cup of coffee clutched in his hand and grin far too bright for the earliness of the hour on his face. Melody raised a brow as she reached for one of the travel coffee mugs she kept in the cupboard. “Good morning.” She said quietly, the forgotten anxiety returning almost as quickly as it left. 

“Good Morning.” Steve repeated, the grin remaining on his lips as he watched Melody pour a ridiculous amount of creamer into the steaming Holiday Blend coffee. “You want a bit of coffee with that creamer?” He chuckled.

“You wanna tone down that pep a bit?” She retorted without a thought. “It’s far too early to be as hyper as you are, dude. Waaaay too early?” She raised the cup to her lips and sighed a bit before taking a long sip of her liquid lifeline. 

“I take it you’re not a morning person, then?” Steve chuckled, taking no offense to her words. . “And here I thought Tango was kidding.”

“Bold of you to assume that he wasn’t telling the truth...No one in their right mind is a morning person! And I’m sure as hell not one at 6:00 a.m. Nothing good happens at 6:00 a.m.”

“I wouldn’t quite say that. Coffee happens at 6:00, and from my astute observations, Holiday Blend seems to be your favorite, correct?”

Melody’s eyes widened slightly as she looked at the man in curiosity. She felt her cheeks burn with a blush as she cleared her throat and tucked an emerald curl behind her ear. Had the man been stalking her? “Astute observations?” She questioned. 

Now it was Steve’s turn to blush. “Well, I was here the other day when you came in with all the bags of coffee...” He explained. “ Tango mentioned brewing a pot before you got here would be a good idea. I had to have some idea of how to deal with ‘Sleep Deprived Mels’, as he called you. Don’t worry, I packed a couple of bags in the van for the trip.”

Melody hadn’t remembered Steve being in the office when she’d arrived with literally an armload of Holiday Blend for the office, but then again, maybe she just hadn’t seen him. As for Tango’s advice to Steve, she didn’t doubt that one bit. Dave knew better than anyone how grumpy she was until she had at least one if not two cups of coffee. He’d probably given Steve the tip for his own good. 

“You are an absolute genius, I hadn’t even thought of packing along some for the trip.” Melody said as she began fixing herself another cup. Once again, she poured a ridiculous amount of creamer in her coffee, but being the self proclaimed sugar addict that she was, it really came with the territory. 

Steve chuckled and shook his head. “Genius? I don’t know about that..I do know we should probably hit the road soon. We’re expecting another few inches of snow in a few hours and I’d like to get ahead of it if we can. Are you ready to go?”

A dramatic sigh escaped Melody’s lips. “I suppose so…” She mumbled as she grabbed her coffee cup and started heading toward the front door where she’d left her suitcase to grab on their way out. However, she paused quite abruptly at the door without realizing that Steve was right behind her until she felt his hands on her shoulders, probably trying to stop himself from running into her. Melody tensed slightly and turned around to face Steve and to put a bit of distance between them, which earned a curious look from the man. “Sorry, didn’t mean to stop like that…” Melody chewed her lower lip nervously, the anxiety she was feeling before beginning to return. “Um, do we have all the equipment? Anything we need to grab?”  
Steve continued to regard her with a curious expression, but he mentioned nothing of the way she’d tensed up, if he’d even noticed it at all. Melody sincerely hoped not. He instead shook his head, the concerned expression fading into a small smile. “Nope, everything is packed away in the van. I even grabbed your work laptop from your desk in case you needed it. All we need to do is toss your suitcase in the van and we can get out of here. I’d like to at least get a couple of hours out of the way before you start begging to stop at a Starbucks.” He teased. 

“Hey, I am NOT that dependent on coffee…” Melody muttered, shaking her head as she slung her backpack over her shoulder. She had planned to grab the handle on her rolling suitcase but Steve was quicker than she was and had already walked outside with it in tow. Before she could even speak he’d placed it in the back of the van. “Oh, thank you..” She felt bad he’d done that, knowing good and well that it was heavy. That’s the life of an over packer.

“No problem...But geez, did you pack your entire house, Mels? We’re only going to be gone for a couple of weeks..”

Melody turned the key in the lock and pushed on the door to make sure it was locked before she made her way over to the van. It wouldn’t do to leave the TAPS headquarters unlocked only for someone to break in and rob them blind. Somehow Melody figured Jay and Grant wouldn’t take too kindly to that. 

“Well,” She mused as she climbed into the passenger seat and closed the door behind her, “I’m always paranoid I won’t have enough clothes. What if we break down on the side of the road or there’s not a chance for me to stop and wash clothes? I’m clumsy, you know, and I spill things all the time...It’s just better to be prepared.” Melody’s voice trailed off into a mumble as she fastened her seatbelt before reaching for the coffee cup she’d placed in the cup holder. She was rambling now and she knew it, so Melody thought it was best to stop while she was ahead. The sassy attitude she’d embraced not even 20 minutes ago had gone into hiding it seemed and her awkward and anxious demeanor had returned full force.

Steve was once again looking at her in curiosity but it didn’t last long. “I suppose you’re right, better safe than sorry.” He said as he turned the key in the ignition. “I mean, your partner in crime is never prepared. I can’t even count the amount of times we’ve had to find a Target or something because he can’t get his shit together...Literally.”

This brought a small smile to Melody’s lips which was quickly followed by a chuckle. “That sounds like him alright...He flies by the seat of his pants.”

“If he remembers to pack them..” Steve muttered. He glanced at Melody with a grin on his face as he put the van into drive. “So, you ready to get out of here?”

Melody nodded. “As ready as I’ll ever be, I suppose..You better be a good driver, Gonsalves, I do fancy arriving at our destination in one piece. ”

By now Steve had pulled out onto the deserted street and was headed toward the highway. “You do realize I used to be a cop, right?” He questioned with a raised brow. 

“Please, being an officer of the law doesn’t make you a good driver. I can always drive you know…”

“Hah, that’s not gonna happen. I’ve seen the way you fly into the parking lot like a bat out of hell...I’ll be doing the driving, Mels…”

“I resent that...I do not drive like a bat out of hell..” Melody muttered.

Steve only chuckled in response as he turned onto the slightly busier highway. A silence soon settled over the two, though it wasn’t uncomfortable or awkward in the least. Melody sipped her coffee as Steve drove with the radio playing quietly through the speakers. Steve, of course, kept his eyes on the road, but Melody’s gaze was focussed on the pink and orange sky as the sun began to rise over Rhode Island. She couldn’t stop the smile that tugged at her lips or the sudden feeling of excitement as she spared a quick glance at her travel buddy. Perhaps this trip wouldn’t be so bad after all...

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: I'm so excited to share this new story with you guys! I've been a long time fan of Ghost Hunters, and after years of contemplating writing a fic I've finally decided to do it! I claim no ownership to anyone or anything other than my OC, Melody, who received her first name from the lovely LlamaLloyd! :D And of course, the general plot. This will be a slow burn fic, but I promise the romance will be worth the wait! Anyway, thanks for reading, I hope to update soon!


End file.
